Hello Team,So, the contest is over. We ended in 25th place with 900 votes. Amazing! Although it is of course disappointing to have not made it into the semi-final round, I am beyond touched with the effort that was put forth. I never expected to gain so much support in so little time. I mean, considering the fact that our idea was up against major organizations/schools/foundations, I am pretty impressed that we made top 25! You have truly warmed my heart!

Now that I know there is so much support for the Roadtrip with Reason, it makes me even more excited to get planning. Eeee! Excitement. That brings me to the next steps of the planning process...1) Schedule! It is going to take a lot of time for me to figure the actual concrete-ish schedule of the trip. I hope to begin the journey on August 1st in Newfoundland, and I expect to end it in the beginning of November.....but the rest of the details are yet to be determined. So much to consider! So much to research!2) Not-for-profits! I have been making note of different organizations within Canada that I am interested in volunteering with and I know there are thousands more out there. I am in the process of putting together a 'proposal' for the organizations and will soon be making the approach. If you know of an NFP anywhere in Canada that you think would be a great match for the project, send me an e-mail at becky@roadtripwithreason.ca!3) Funding! So, the Aviva Community Fund didn't come through. No worries! I am 100% determined to get this project up and running, and I will find the funding somehow! Unfortunately, typical grants/government funding/corporate sponsorship are not viable options for this because it is an 'individual pursuit' - aka not a registered not-for-profit. Just a little fork in the road! Soon, I will be developing some sponsorship packages that will be posted under the 'sponsorship' section of website. There are all kinds of ideas floating in my head. If you have any brilliant ideas, let me know!That is all for now. Much to do! Much excitement! If you haven't already, be sure to search 'Roadtrip with Reason' on Facebook and "Like" the page....or follow me on twitter (@roadtripwreason)....OR sign up for my e-mailing list HERE!Happy trails & travels,-- Becky xo

26th place! 3 voting days to go! It's going to be a challenge....but we have come this far, and I know we can make it to 10th place too!Just keep those votes up daily - spread the word - and keep those fingers crossed!Thanks so much for the support, friends. You have truly been amazing.Happy trails & travels,-- Becky xo

I just wanted to quickly post an update to let you know that we have made it to #30 on the list!!! We have been in our little spot, holding our own, for the entire day! This is really exciting, if you ask me. I realized today that we are the only idea, in the top 35 (small budget category) that is not partnered with an organization or a school. The only one! Do you know what this means? It means that you guys have been amazing!!!!Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know the happy news and show you the hilarious picture I took this morning (in my pj's haha), when I first realized the roadtrip made it to #30!

Only 20 more ideas to surpass. Difficult, but not impossible! Just keep those votes comin' every day - and be sure to spread the word this weekend!!! Just clickHERE to vote!Happy Friday. Wishing you oodles of fun!Happy trails & travels,-- Becky xo

Hi Friends,We have hit 245 votes! Pretty cool!Today (& tomorrow), I am home in Oakville as I have a few days off from my regular 9-5. The house is currently in disaster because my parents are getting the floors re-done, and everything has been moved all over. I spent my day working away at the kitchen table trying to avoid strange looks from Sinbad, the tile man (who was likely judging me for wearing pj's at 3 p.m. Heh!). Not the best atmosphere for creative thinking, I admit.There is just so much to do! The 'to do' list keeps growing and growing, and my ideas keep building and building and before I know it there is always just too much to get done in one day. I am sure my close friends are growing tired of listening to me talk about the roadtrip. I am constantly bouncing ideas off of them, looking to them for encouragement, relying on them for honest opinions - but hey, it's what friends are for...right? (LOVE you guys!)I realized today that, as much support as I have received from YOU, it is just not enough to push my way to the top. I need to go big! HUGE! GINORMOUS! I need to reach a much wider audience...but how? With only 7 days left in the Aviva Community Fund, I need to think fast. Any tips?!This weekend, I have every intention of partially embarrassing myself (& maybe some willing friends) by getting out into the streets and just chatting to people from around the community. Lots and lots of them! I am actually designing a little 'brochure', in shape/design of a postcard, which people can take home with them... cute? crazy? silly? fun? waste of time? Who knows. At the end of this contest, I just want to know that I pushed as hard as I could to make it happen. If I don't make the top ten, I will find a way to make this idea get out on the road (literally). Somehow. It will happen! Anyway, it's time for me to rest my buzzing brain and hit the pillow.Thank you, deeply, for the love and support. It feels so special to have so many people backing me.Keep those votes coming, and spread the word far & wide!

Hello Friends,I am going to make this pretty short and sweet.101 votes!!!!!101 votes!!!!!101 votes!!!!!My heart is feeling quite warm this evening because of you wonderful people! I realize that 101 votes doesn't do much for our status in the top 10, but that isn't what this is about right now. It is amazing to me that WE (as a team) have reached out to 83 people so far, and that they have been committed enough to register and vote!I know I am a very small fish in the scheme of things, and that it will be VERY difficult for me to go from 37th place to 10th...but ya know what? It is POSSIBLE. I truly believe anything is possible if you put your mind to it....or many minds, in this case!Anyway, tomorrow is another day for voting! Please remember to vote again (day after day), and continue to spread the word in EVERY way possibl!! I have Thursday & Friday off this week (lucky me!) and will be returning back to Oakville for some much needed creative brainstorming. I am thinking big thoughts! If you have any crazy ideas to spread the word - let me know - I am up for anything! Happy trails & travels,-- Becky xo

Good Evening!So, today was DAY ONE of the Aviva Community Fund contest! I am currently standing at a solid 26 votes - not bad for a 'one-woman' project? I am in the "small budget" category, but am unfortunately up against programs/organizations that have years of history and 100's of volunteers to back them with votes. The #1 idea in my category has 280 VOTES! After one day! Yep, reality has struck....and boy, does it sting. Thankfully, I am not even CLOSE to giving up. I truly believe in the value that this roadtrip has to offer, and I hope hope hope to be able to continue to spread that message far and wide over the next 10 days. To my lovely 26 voters -- thank you so very much! Please remember that you have one vote DAILY (until Nov 26th)....so stick with it and spread the message! And now I would like to officially present the intro video (below) ... it is still a work in progress, but hopefuly for now it will provide you with a better understanding of how goofy, positive, genuine and excited I am about the Roadtrip with Reason.Keep those votes coming!!!Happy trails & travels,-- Becky xoP.S. There seems to be some kind of technical difficulty with my website that I am struggling to figure out? Be patient!

Bonjour, Mes Amis!Oh, what a week! It feels so crazy-good to be able to finally talk to anyone & everyone about this little project of mine ... facebook, twitter, day-to-day life. I am truly THRILLED by the support, feedback and love that I have received thus far. Seriously, I am buzzing with excitement! As I write this (at 2:00 a.m. - eek!) my intro video for the website / for the Aviva Community Fund contest is rendering. 68%! Almost there! The contest begins tomorrow, and I realize I have yet to fill you in on the details. Woops!The Aviva Community Fund is basically a contest for Canadians who want to make a positive change in their community (or, in my case, many communities). They are giving away $1,000,000, which will be shared among various projects all across Canada. Basically, how it works, is Round 3 begins tomorrow - the 30 most popular (based on # of votes) move on to the semi-final round where they compete for top votes against the top 30 of Round 1 & 2. Then, the top 30 from the finals go through a judging round....and from there, the judges choose the winners!I know, it sounds like a long and very tough journey.....but hey, who doesn't love a challenge? Not to mention, it is an INCREDIBLE opportunity! Voting for Round 3 takes place between November 15th - 26th .... you will have 10 votes, and can only vote once/day on the same project! Steps to voting:Go to - www.avivacommunityfund.orgSearch - 'Roadtrip with Reason' or #9047Sign-upVOTE! VOTE! VOTE!& spread the wordI do realize it is annoying to have to register, and then vote on a daily basis for ten days....however, please realize that the difference your one little daily *click* could make on this project is huge. I would appreciate your help SO much. SO MUCH! I can't even begin to describe to you how MUCH! Please feel free to spread the word to your roommates, office buddies, family, friends, neighbours and strangers....every vote helps! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Keep your eyes peeled for the video -- and if you haven't yet, find me on twitter (here) and facebook (here)!Happy trails & travels!Warmly,Becky xo

Hi Friends,Now that I have you here on this website of mine, I would just like to express my EXCITEMENT for this huge project I am about to undertake. I am feeling so positive about the feedback I have received thus far, and I cannot wait to see this little project of mine (hopefully) grow into what I know it has the potential to be.Thank you so much, already, for the amazing support andlove.A special THANK YOU must be given to my lovely pal, Sara Farnell (a brilliant graphic designer in the making), who created the Roadtrip with Reason logo for me. What a gem!! Oh, goodness! So much excitement in the air. I cannot wait to hit the road....(in 9ish months). Heh!Please check back here often for developments...as there will (soon) be a ton! You can also sign up to be on the e-mailing list here, where i will provide updates and reminders as the roadtrip planning progresses."Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does." --Margaret Mead

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Welcome! My name is Becky. I took a roadtrip across Canada, from July to November 2011. This roadtrip was a special one though, because it had reason!Go through my blog history to catch up on my 4-month cross-Canada roadtrip where I supported small non-profit organizations and explored the idea of volunteerism. It was so inspiring, life changing and so much FUN...Click HERE to get put on my e-mailing list! You can also check me out on twitter or facebook!